4@Drupadi: Bali Series

The last time I was in Bali, I stayed in Ulu Villas, thinking it was just a resort. I was shocked that it was a private compound, with only 4 rooms, all villa style. This was almost 5 years ago, and it was my first time to stay in a villa. This time, I made sure we stayed in a villa again. Bali is perhaps the birthplace of the villa concept, and thus, Bali has several options. I have been searching the net for cheap but nice villas, but I wasn't able to book one until the night before we left for Bali.


The only one available was Pyaar, an Indian inspired villa in a compound called 4@Drupadi. The compound was located in Seminyak, the upscale neighborhood of Bali. I initially wanted a modern Balinese villa, but I couldn't find any. And besides, I couldn't find a price that could match the one I got. Imagine, $200 a night for a 3-bedroom villa. And the pictures from the net didn't look bad. So, I went for it, and told my agent to make the booking.


Imagine my expression when we arrived. I was jumping in anticipation when the van parked in front of the entrance of 4@Drupadi. The landscaping was elegantly designed. The place looked very exclusive. It didn't feel like $200 a night. I really didn't have huge expectations, since I wasn't liking the Indian concept of Pyaarm, the villa that we got. I wanted another villa in the compound, Amore, which looked very modern and clean. However, someone confirmed their booking just 5 minutes before I did.



The other villas were equally luxurious, but had different designs that didn't appeal to me. Good thing they weren't options since they were already booked. The first one is Youbi, Japanese style.



Another villa, Cinta, didn't appeal to me, though it had a billiard table, and was the biggest among the 4. It was Indonesian inspired, but I found it wood bare.



So, I was happy when I entered our villa: the Pyaar, Indian for love. It wasn't really traditional Indian, but more of British Indian, as the owner was Singaporean. It was huge, around 180 sqm in land area and had 3 bedrooms. We only got 2 bedrooms though, because that was the deal for the unbelievable price of $200 a night.


It had a stone lap pool that was around 5 meters long. Beside it were the pool lounge chairs, where one can read a book, or just have a cold drink.


The villa had a receiving area with an interesting swinging bench. Beside it was the living area with an LCD screen and some magazines.


The bedrooms were exquisite. All had canopy beds and ultra soft goose feather pillows. I had one of my best sleeps here.

I also loved the outdoor shower. The villa I stayed in before also had an outdoor shower, so I was happy to have one again. Our bath tub had a glass panel separating it from a garden.



But the best thing about this villa is the service. We had full butler service from sun up to sun down. We had a huge fruit basket, some free drinks, and even breakfast served in the morning. The butlers were so pleasant and friendly, and they really knew how to make their guests feel special. We were taken cared of.


I was so happy with our villa, that we were so tempted to stay indoors for the rest of our trip. For only $200 because of the last minute booking, I think I just made the best accommodation deal of my life.


So, when in Bali, try something different. Don't stay at a hotel, or a typical resort. Get a villa, and sometimes, they even cost less. Imagine, we only paid P2,000 per person per night in a private and exclusive villa, complete with butler service and a lap pool. Total luxury = perfect vacation.

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